tag:userecho.com,2020-06-07:/feeds/topics/en//ofweek2018-01-30T06:33:14+00:00tag:led.userecho.com,2018-01-30:/communities/1/topics/74-the-test-of-taber-abrasion-tester/2018-01-30T06:33:14+00:002018-01-30T06:33:14+00:00The Test of Taber Abrasion Tester [ideas] <p><font><font>Recently, I found a test of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.testextextile.com/product/taber-abrasion-tester-tf214/">taber abrasion tester</a>, it seems great. I think it is precise for&nbsp;the result. So, who can give me some advice.</font></font></p><br/><br/>suggested by: ChloeeChloeehttps://led.userecho.com/users/8-chloee/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2018-01-22:/communities/1/topics/45-kingpo-technology-development-limited/2018-01-22T02:50:13+00:002018-01-22T02:50:13+00:00kingpo technology development limited [praises] <a href="http://en.ofweek.com/Company/kingpo-technology-development-limited-2671/"><img alt="kingpo technology development limited" height="66" width="179"></a> <br><h2><a href="http://en.ofweek.com/Company/kingpo-technology-development-limited-2671/#">kingpo technology development limited</a></h2><p><strong>Manufacturer, Distributor/Wholesaler of</strong> glow wire tester, ball pressure apparatus, DC spark tester, flame test chamber, testing instrument, IPX5/IPX6 jet nozzle, IPX3/IPX4 sprayer nozzle, spring impact hammer, salt spary machine, gauge for caps on finished lamp<br>Introduction: <br>KINGPO is a testing and inspection equipment manufacturer. <br>We aim at provide best precision measuring instrument and excellent testing equipment. We believe quality speak louder than words.<br>All products manufactured accord to international standards, say VDE standard, EN standard, IEC60061 standard, IEC60884, GB1002, UL498, UL1278, BS1363 and so on. Provide calibration certificate issued by accredited and internationally recognized laboratory.<br>Many famous international certificate and inspection laboratories keep good business relationship with us. Our clients wide spread over</p><br/><br/> Iris0415 replied:<br/><p>TESTEX is a company focusing on developing and manufacturing textile testing equipment since 2008.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.testextextile.com/product/glow-wire-tester/">Glow Wire Tester</a>s&nbsp;are sold at competitive prices.</p>ofweekledhttps://led.userecho.com/users/1-ofweekled/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-30:/communities/1/topics/55-softbank-and-mitsui-prepare-to-activate-111mw-japan-pv-array/2015-11-30T05:32:54+00:002015-11-30T05:32:54+00:00Softbank and Mitsui prepare to activate 111MW Japan PV array [ideas] <p>SB <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">Energy</a>, the offshoot of telecoms group Softbank, and conglomerate Mitsui are close to flipping the switch on a 111MW PV array in northern Japan.</p><div><br></div><div>The companies said in a statement yesterday that the plant on Hokkaido island would be activated next week, on 1 December.</div><div><br></div><div>The joint project was first announced in March 2013 and had initially been scheduled for launch earlier this year.</div><div><br></div><div>Built on 166ha of land near the town of Abira, the project is expected to provide power to around 30,000 households, according to the two companies.</div><div><br></div><p>Mitsui and SB Energy are collaborating on a number of other utility PV projects in Japan.</p><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-27:/communities/1/topics/46-order-focus-longi-to-supply-300mw-of-mono-c-si-modules-to-cmne/2015-11-27T03:03:20+00:002015-11-27T03:03:20+00:00Order Focus: Longi to supply 300MW of mono c-Si modules to CMNE [ideas] <p>Major monocrystalline wafer producer Longi Silicon Materials subsidiary, Lerri Photovoltaic Technology has secured a 300MW monocrystalline module supply deal with China Minsheng New Energy (CMNE).</p><div><br></div><div>The company said it had won several 100MW supply deal bids that totalled 300MW; full written confirmation of the deals was said to be pending. </div><div><br></div><div>CMNE is planning <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">PV</a> projects in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of northern China totalling around 1GW, with longer-term (5-year) plans for installations totalling 20GW in various regions of China.</div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-26:/communities/1/topics/70-karnataka-announces-12gw-solar-tender/2015-11-26T02:26:28+00:002015-11-26T02:26:28+00:00Karnataka announces 1.2GW solar tender [ideas] <p>The energy ministry of the south Indian state of Karnataka has announced a 1.2GW ground-mount solar tender.</p><div><br></div><div>The Karnataka <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">Renewable Energy</a> Development (KREDL), am agency working under the state’s energy department, has issued a request for proposals for the capacity, which it wants to be implemented in 60 taluks - subdivisions of a district, such as a group of villages. The deadline for proposals is 2 December this year.</div><div><br></div><div>Proposed projects must be between 3MW to 20MW per taluk. Bidders can only submit one bid for each taluk.</div><div><br></div><div>Power purchase agreements will be signed with relevant utilities and vetted by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC). Developers will be responsible for design, finance, engineering, procurement, construction, operation and maintenance of projects. The developer is also responsible for power evacuation from the power plant to the nearest substation or delivery point.</div><div><br></div><div>In related news the deadline approaches for a KREDL tender for consultancy services to help develop shared infrastructure for the 2GW Pavagada Solar Park, spread over 4,450 hectares, which has been funded by the World Bank. This includes environmental and social impact assessment and preparation of environment management and resettlement action plan. Final submissions are due on 27 November. The park will be split into eight blocks of 250MW with minimum project capacities of 50MW.</div><div><br></div><div>In August, the Karnataka government also introduced an exemption from the VAT tax for Solar panels and inverters.</div><div><br></div><div>At Intersolar India last week, SunEdison's record low bid of 4.63/kWh for 500MW of solar capacity in an Andhra Pradesh solar park was high on the agenda with much speculation about how low bids will go for the forthcoming solar park tenders in Rajasthan as well as Karnataka.</div><div><br></div><p>MNRE joint secretary Traun Kapoor also announced that India would be implementing three or four 'Solar Zones' and is likely to see capacity commissioned in what could be the world's largest solar projects in solar parks within India next year.</p><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-25:/communities/1/topics/65-cop-21-renewables-plus-storage-can-help-developing-world-decarbonise-faces-challenges/2015-11-25T02:12:21+00:002015-11-25T02:12:21+00:00COP 21: Renewables-plus-storage can help developing world decarbonise, faces challenges [ideas] <p>Renewables with <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">energy storage</a> can help build low carbon energy networks in the developing world – but the twin technologies still face competition from natural gas while they gradually mature, according to an electric power systems maker and integrator.</p><div><br></div><div>Cleverson Takiguchi, of S&amp;C Electric, a US-headquartered company which has worked in areas including storage integration, renewables interconnection to the grid and mircro grids, told PV Tech Storage yesterday that micro grids can increase access to electricity in economically poorer parts of the world, including some 400 million people on the African continent that have little to no access to electricity at all.</div><div><br></div><div>Brazilian Takiguchi, who is moving from a role as business development director for S&amp;C’s operations in Africa to represent the company in sales in the EMEA regions, has over 20 years’ experience in the industry.</div><div><br></div><div>He said that there has been strong interest in Africa, especially in South Africa and in Latin America and the company has built a number of pilot projects to prove that energy storage, solar and micro grids can reliably serve a useful purpose.</div><div><br></div><div>Some of the parameters being examined in these pilot projects include, Takiguchi said, finding out how various types of batteries react to the desert-like climate of northern South Africa, and the possibility of providing multiple grid services through energy storage facilities.</div><div><br></div><div>Going forward, he said, there could be opportunities in a number of areas such as data centres, while he also mentioned that so far he sees flow batteries as a “very promising” technology for applications in both regions due to the low degradation the batteries suffer even from prolonged and intensive use.</div><div><br></div><div>PV Tech Storage asked if, with the intergovernmental COP21 talks on climate change just a short time away in Paris, renewables-plus-storage offered a good hope for building lower carbon energy networks. Takiguchi said that it did, but still faced competition – although this too could be an opportunity.</div><div><br></div><div>“Of course the opportunity [to lower carbon emissions] will be to use energy storage as an enabler for renewables interconnection, but then, of course, it will still face competition with lower carbon emissions type of generation like gas.</div><div><br></div><div>“Gas, it is clear has much less emissions than the traditional coal-fired power plants. But this is still a very strong competition against renewables-plus-storage, so that’s where the opportunity lies.”</div><div><br></div><div>Winning that competition with gas over time therefore, is a feasible aim, Takiguchi said, but the drawback is that investors and other sources of funding have had many years to familiarise themselves with gas and less time to think about newer technologies like solar with batteries. It would, however, take time.</div><div><br></div><div>“The big challenge of course is that gas turbine is a well known technology, big track record so when you compare that with a solar plant, wind farm with energy storage, not all investors will look at it the same way as if you had, let’s say, a 1MW gas turbine and a 1MW solar PV or wind in combination with storage, they may not look the same. So this is where I say technology maturity will play its role.</div><div><br></div><p>“I’d say that competition, between lower carbon generation versus renewables-plus-storage is something that will be in the market for some years, at least until the technology gets more mature,” Takiguchi said.</p><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-24:/communities/1/topics/71-uge-international-to-acquire-endura-energy/2015-11-24T01:57:38+00:002015-11-24T01:57:38+00:00UGE International to acquire Endura Energy [ideas] <p>Distributed <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">renewable energy</a> company UGE International is to acquire Toronto-based solar energy firm Endura Energy Project Corp.<br><br>UGE will use Endura’s project execution platform to accelerate deployment of projects in its focus markets including the US, Panama, the Philippines and China.<br><br>UGE also noted that the acquisition will give the company a leading market share in Ontario while Canada looks to acquire more progressive clean energy goals under its recently elected prime minister Justin Trudeau.<br><br>Under the agreement UGE will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Endura from a numbered company controlled by Cameron and Alison Steinman, the founders of Endura.<br><br>UGE shall pay CAD$1 million (US$746,000) in cash on closing of the acquisition, and shall issue 8,888,888 common shares of UGE to the numbered company.<br><br>Upon closing the acquisition, Cameron and Alison Steinman will become insiders of UGE and will hold around 32% of the issued and outstanding common shares of UGE indirectly through the numbered company.<br><br>Nick Blitterswyk, chief executive of UGE, said: “UGE is growing quickly in the commercial solar sector, both in North America and in key international markets. We have always been impressed with Endura’s professionalism and experience, and by combining our traditional strengths in sales, marketing and project finance with Endura’s strengths in engineering and project implementation, we are taking another significant step towards market leadership in this sector.”<br><br>Cameron Steinman, president of Endura, said: “UGE offers an unparalleled platform for working with businesses to lower their energy costs through distributed generation. In this fast growing industry, we’re proud to be aligned with UGE, and excited about the growth ahead.”</p><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-23:/communities/1/topics/3-hb-fuller-leveraging-acquired-tonsan-on-new-sealants-and-adhesives-for-pv-manufacturers/2015-11-23T02:19:17+00:002015-11-23T02:19:17+00:00H.B. Fuller leveraging acquired TONSAN on new sealants and adhesives for PV manufacturers [ideas] <p>US-listed Industrial adhesives supplier H.B. Fuller has said that after the acquisition China-based adhesives specialist, TONSAN Adhesive earlier in the year, it was working to develop new technologies for <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">PV</a> manufacturers. </p><div><br></div><div>H.B. Fuller noted that it was exploring a number of advanced technologies to address PV manufacturer’s product issues that would employ its materials such as new liquid sealants, tapes and adhesives dispensing equipment.</div><div><br></div><div>The company also noted that TONSAN’s popular silicone frame sealant, 1527, and junction box potting material, 1521, would still be available to customers.</div><div><br></div><div>“Through this acquisition, we’re able to provide a powerful combination of global resources and advanced adhesive technologies that puts innovation on a fast track to give manufacturers the edge they need to maintain a competitive advantage,” said Patrick Trippel, senior vice president of market development at H.B. Fuller. “Both companies also have a culture of investing heavily in research and development and putting that to work in a highly responsive and collaborative way, working alongside customers.”</div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-20:/communities/1/topics/68-investment-advisors-lazard-hail-competitivness-of-large-scale-pv-lukewarm-on-rooftop/2015-11-20T02:21:07+00:002015-11-20T02:21:07+00:00Investment advisors Lazard hail competitivness of large-scale PV, lukewarm on rooftop [ideas] <p>Large-scale solar and wind can already compete on price with traditional generation in some parts of the world, even with the price of natural gas falling, according to financial advisory and asset management firm Lazard. </p><div><br></div><div>Lazard published two studies this week on the levelised cost of energy (LCOE), one for what it called “alternative energy” technologies which include solar PV, fuel cells, biomass and onshore wind, while the other study focused on developments in <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">energy storage</a>.</div><div><br></div><div>The former is in its ninth annual edition, while the storage report is the first to be produced by the company. In 'Levelised Cost of Energy Analysis 9.0', Lazard highlights that utility-scale solar costs have fallen by 25% on average in just one year – a total fall of around 80% since 2009 – while large-scale wind has enjoyed a 60% drop in costs since then, price declines that Lazard described as “dramatic”.</div><div><br></div><div>Conversely, Lazard claimed that rooftop solar still requires subsidies in much of the world to be competitive, due partly to the difficulty of building scale from smaller installations and also the complexity of the development and installation process relative to PV at larger scales.</div><div><br></div><div>While community solar installations – shared arrays that are either ground mounted or rooftop – offer a better scope for scaling up, Lazard sounded a note of caution that in both instances, utility-scale remains much cheaper. Even so, utility-scale projects of all types – including conventional and nuclear generation – face challenges to their development including policy uncertainty and high absolute costs.</div><div><br></div><div>LCOE metrics</div><div><br></div><div>The levelised cost of energy is a metric that has been used frequently in the US to compare various technologies and tech applications and aims to take into account as many variables contributing to the overall cost of energy. In solar PV, for example, some LCOE methodologies take into account permitting and other “soft costs”.</div><div><br></div><div>For Lazard’s study, the firm determined the cost per megawatt-hour of energy in US dollars required to give equity holders a return on their investment equal to the cost of equity capital. It kept the equity structure consistent across different scenarios in order to compare competing technologies, not “the benefits of financial engineering”, the report said. </div><div><br></div><div>While Lazard appears to be joining a number of other financial institutions in hailing the growing competitiveness of renewables, the firm claimed that it does not foresee conventional generation being pushed out of the baseload mix in the near future. Instead, the report claimed, using alternative energy generation as a complement to traditional power sources will be “the optimal solution” in “many regions”. </div><div><br></div><div>In particular, the report was sceptical on the short-term competitiveness of rooftop solar and even said that regions with support schemes favouring rooftop solar over utility-scale through subsidies were causing “intelligent system-wide integrated resource planning and policy” to “distort”.</div><div><br></div><div>'Cost-effective method of carbon abatement'</div><div><br></div><div>While the authors refer to a global picture presented in both the alternative energy and energy storage reports, in reality much of the data and insights presented focused on the US.</div><div><br></div><div>Externalities such as environmental impact of fossil fuels and the social benefits of distributed generation were not taken into account by Lazard’s study, however, even in those cases where alternative energies have already reached grid parity.</div><div><br></div><div>Despite this the report did examine the costs of carbon abatement as a separate metric for comparison, and found that, especially compared to coal, utility-scale solar and wind could be a cost-effective way to limit emissions. Policies designed to promote these alternative energy technologies, Lazard said, “…could be a particularly cost-effective way of limiting carbon emissions”. The total cost per megawatt-hour of energy produced from a coal plant came in at US$320/MWh, for a LCOE of US$65/MWh, while the equivalent figures for crystalline utility-scale PV installations with single-axis tracking stood at US$283/MWh and US$58/MWh respectively. </div><div><br></div><div>The study also did not look deeply at complementary technologies and the permutations of alternative business cases – for instance Lazard admitted that in taking into account the LCOE and therefore rate of return on investment for commercial and industrial rooftop solar, it did not consider the use of PV to mitigate demand charges.</div><div><br></div><div>Either by using a self-consumption PV solution, such as an east-west rooftop PV array, or PV paired with batteries, businesses in regions where time-of-use and peak use charges are prevalent such as the USA are able to significantly reduce their bills. In the US, a demand charge bill can be as much as 50% of a business’ total electricity costs, making this use of batteries “increasingly compelling to certain large energy customers”, Lazard said.</div><div><br></div><div>The firm did look at demand charge management in its energy storage report and indeed in the LCOE 9.0 report referred to the “virtuous cycle” of cost declines in energy storage driven by higher volumes of renewable energy deployment, which in turn were driving greater cost declines, covered in more detail in the storage report.</div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-19:/communities/1/topics/58-ldk-solar-collapses-into-bankruptcy-in-china/2015-11-19T02:36:01+00:002015-11-19T02:36:01+00:00LDK Solar collapses into bankruptcy in China [ideas] <p>China-based polysilicon and <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">PV module</a> manufacturer LDK Solar has been forced into bankruptcy proceedings in China soon after it had exited bankruptcy proceedings of its parent holding company that was once listed in the US. </p><div><br></div><div>A web of LDK Solar subsidiary companies in China that had indirect investment from the likes of major China-based renewables enterprises such as Shunfeng, which had previously acquired bankrupt Suntech, once the largest PV module manufacturer in the world are impacted by the developments. </div><div><br></div><div>On November 17, 2015, the Xinyu Intermediate Court was said to have declared the commencement of the bankruptcy restructuring, which will start on March 1, 2016.</div><div><br></div><div>"It is regrettable that we have come to this inevitable juncture on our onshore financial crossroads, despite the tremendous efforts we have made in order to make progress in our onshore financial restructuring subsequent to our successful offshore financial restructuring," commented Mr. Zhibin Liu, Chairman, President and CEO of LDK Solar. "Nevertheless, we respect our creditors' rights and interests; we respect our other stakeholders' rights and interests; and we respect the judicial intervention by the Xinyu Intermediate Court in its attempt to protect the rights and interests of our various stakeholders. We will cooperate with the court and will endeavor to achieve a reasonable and balanced result for LDK Solar and its stakeholders. As far as the LDK Solar management is concerned, we continue to be determined to work hard in the current and forthcoming economic environment, to meet our challenges ahead in our onshore restructuring, and to build our company up into a reputable player in the photovoltaic industry. In this regard, we appreciate the continued support of our wide-ranging stakeholders during our tortuous restructuring and rebuilding process."</div><div><br></div><div>Subsidiaries of LDK Solar in China that have been forced into bankruptcy by creditors include the following:</div><div><br></div><div>Jiangxi LDK Solar Hi-Tech Co., Ltd., LDK Solar Hi-Tech (Xinyu) Co., Ltd., Jiangxi LDK PV Silicon Technology Co., Ltd. and Jiangxi LDK Solar Polysilicon Co., Ltd.</div><div><br></div><div>The actions against LDK Solar were brought about by Xinyu City Chengdong Construction and Investment Corporation ("Xinyu Chengdong") and China National Grid (Jiangxi Province) Corporation Ganxi Power Branch ("Ganxi Power" and, together with Xinyu Chengdong.</div><div><br></div><p>Debts owed amounted to over US$44 million Rmb 281,581,675 and US$8.3 million to electricity charges due Ganxi Power.</p><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-18:/communities/1/topics/51-ja-solar-increasing-cell-and-module-capacity-to-5gw-by-mid-2016/2015-11-18T02:06:05+00:002015-11-18T02:06:05+00:00JA Solar increasing cell and module capacity to 5GW by mid-2016 [ideas] <p>Updated: 'Silicon Module Super League' member JA Solar said it would make significant manufacturing capacity expansions by mid-2016 to meet demand.</p><div><br></div><div>JA Solar said that it planned to increase ingot/wafer production for the first time in many years to 1.5GW, up 500MW from 1GW. </div><div><br></div><div>Both <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">solar cell</a> and module nameplate capacity would be increased to 5GW by mid-2016, equating to both being increased by 1.4GW from planned 2015 nameplate capacity levels of 3.6GW. </div><div><br></div><div>The company recently starting ramping its new 400MW solar cell manufacturing facility in Penang, Malaysia. </div><div><br></div><div>Management noted in its earnings call to discuss third quarter that the Malaysian plant had a nameplate capacity of 800MW to 1,000MW. </div><div><br></div><div>Ingot/wafer capacity expansions would be undertaken at existing facilities in China, while the majority of PV module expansions would also be at facilities in China. </div><div><br></div><div>However, management noted that it had an OEM module agreement in Vietnam and could possibly expand solar cell capacity at the plant in Malaysia, which was only expected to ship around 20MW in the fourth quarter and was therefore focused on ramping to its initial 400MW nameplate capacity in 2016. </div><div><br></div><div>According to Finlay Colville, head of market intelligence at PV Tech’s parent publisher, Solar Media, a key highlight from JA Solar’s results was the intended capacity expansions for cells and modules that have come swiftly after Canadian Solar had issued a similar effective capacity ramp for 2016.</div><div> </div><div>“Based on our updated model for JA Solar’s manufacturing facilities, we are now projecting a possible 700MW of cell production outside China during 2016, feeding into a potential third-party module shipment figure of 4.5GW for 2016,” noted Colville. “This would get us close to JA Solar’s projected goal of increasing its market-share significantly in the US during 2016 also, noting that US based shipments can be increased through third-party cell requirements too.”</div><div><br></div><div>One of the key global market weak spots for JA Solar had been the US, ever since the imposition of anti-dumping duties, effectively eliminating the integrated PV manufacturer from the US market. </div><div><br></div><div>Management said in the earnings call that it was seeking 10% of the expected 10GW US market in 2016, inferring a shipment target around 1GW to the US was being targeted for next year. </div><div><br></div><p>“From a manufacturing capex (capital expenditure) standpoint, 2016 is being modelled at 25% higher than 2015, with the module share of capex largely remaining within China at domestic tool suppliers. Western tool suppliers however stand to benefit from the overseas cell capacity additions and will be eagerly awaiting discussions with JA Solar regarding the technology and phasing of the new cell lines,” added Colville. </p><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-17:/communities/1/topics/34-latest-funding-for-developing-world-renewables-launched-by-irena-and-abu-dhabi-fund-for-development/2015-11-17T02:14:12+00:002015-11-17T02:14:12+00:00Latest funding for developing world renewables launched by IRENA and Abu Dhabi Fund for Development [ideas] <p>The International <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">Renewable Energy</a> Agency (IRENA) and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) are seeking applications to fund renewable energy projects in developing countries through concessionary loans.</p><div><br></div><div>The two organisations have launched the fourth of seven planned funding cycles and are welcoming applications from interested parties until mid-February of next year. The round is expected to raise around US$50 million, adding to a commitment by ADFD to provide US$350 million in loans across seven annual funding cycles. Each ADFD loan is intended to cover 50% of project costs.</div><div><br></div><div>In the rounds that have already taken place since 2012, ADFD has provided funding to 11 renewable energy projects in the developing world, in the form of US$98 million in loans, with each project selected on IRENA’s recommendation. For those 11 projects, IRENA said, around US$146 million has been contributed by other funding sources.</div><div><br></div><div>The cycles open in November each year and results are announced just over a year later in January. The results of the third and most recent cycle, for 2014, are expected therefore to be made public in two months’ time, ahead of the February deadline for the fourth and latest round.</div><div><br></div><div>According to IRENA, the funding demonstrates ADFD’s recognition of the importance of renewable energy in emerging countries, and the “sector’s crucial role in aiding economic and social development”. The projects funded should be in regions where populations have little to no access to electricity, offering them the chance to develop their own, clean, sustainable and affordable energy resources.</div><div><br></div><div>The criteria for selection stipulate that projects should be scalable, replicable and innovative where possible, boost energy security and energy access. According to IRENA, they are “carefully evaluated on technical merit, economic viability and socio-economic and environmental impact”.</div><div><br></div><div>“This new funding cycle provides another opportunity for developing countries to access low cost capital for renewable energy projects to drive an energy transition and achieve sustainable development. The continued partnership between ADFD and IRENA brings funding to the places where it can have the most impact and where financing is one of the greatest challenges,” IRENA director-general Adnin Z Amin said.</div><div><br></div><div>The US$98 million loaned by ADFD so far has contributed to the deployment of 56MW of renewable generation capacity, including off-grid and grid-connected projects across a range of technologies in regions as diverse as Argentina, Iran, the Madlives and Mali.</div><div><br></div><p>In related news, IRENA today announced that it will participate in “Re-energising the future”, a dedicated “renewable energy track” at the COP21 talks in Paris this year. The track will demonstrate that clean energy and energy efficiency are the most “realistic means to meet our climate goals”. The agency, which has 143 member countries, will host information about the “Re-energising…” track on its official website.</p><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-16:/communities/1/topics/72-solargiga-and-motech-jv-adding-600mw-of-solar-module-capacity-in-china/2015-11-16T03:15:57+00:002015-11-16T03:15:57+00:00Solargiga and Motech JV adding 600MW of solar module capacity in China [ideas] <p>Major Taiwanese PV manufacturer Motech Industries is making an investment in a PV module manufacturing subsidiary of monocrystalline <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">solar cell</a> producer Solargiga Energy that will drive an additional 600MW of new capacity at the plant in China through 2016.</p><div><br></div><div>The PV module subsidiary of Solargiga is expected to expand PV module capacity by 400MW and enter volume production in February 2016. A second phase of expansion totalling 200MW is follow and start ramping in the third quarter of 2016.</div><div><br></div><div>According to Solargiga, annual production would total 1.2GW once the second phase of expansion was completed. </div><div><br></div><div>The company noted that the capacity expansion was needed to support customer demand and its PV project business. </div><div><br></div><div>Motech’s China-based operations, Motech (Suzhou) Renewable Energy Co is making the investment of RMB11.4 million (US$1.78 million) and will have a 19% stake in the module manufacturing subsidiary.</div><div><br></div><div>A further RMB8.6 million (US$1.34 million) is to be contributed by Solargiga subsidiary, Jinzhou Jinmao which owns the PV module company. </div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-13:/communities/1/topics/49-gcl-poly-struggling-to-keep-up-with-polysilicon-and-wafer-demand/2015-11-13T02:10:27+00:002015-11-13T02:10:27+00:00GCL-Poly struggling to keep up with polysilicon and wafer demand [ideas] <p>The largest <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">polysilicon</a> and solar wafer producer GCL-Poly Energy Holdings has reported both its polysilicon and wafer operations were at full capacity in the third quarter of 2015.</p><div><br></div><div>GCL-Poly noted that polysilicon production in the first nine months of 2015, was approximately 55,771MT, a 12.5% in increase over the prior-year period when production topped 49,582MT.</div><div><br></div><div>Polysilicon production in the third quarter reached 19,003MT, up 10.2% from the third quarter if 2014.</div><div><br></div><div>The average selling pirce of polysilicon sold to third parties was US$16.3/kg in the first nine months of 2015, down from US$17.2/kg in the prior year period. Third-party sales totalled 4,653MT, up 28.7% compared with 3,614MT over the same period of last year.</div><div><br></div><div>GCL-Poly said that wafer production was 10,928MW, 14.0% higher than the first nine months of 2014, while third quarter production topped 3,826MW, up only 3.9% on capacity constraints of adding 1GW of extra production in 2014 to bring total capacity to 14GW. </div><div><br></div><div>Third-party wafer sales increased 11.1% (4,022MW) year-on-year for the quarter and 18% (9,396MW) over the nine month period. </div><div><br></div><div>Wafer ASPs in the first nine months of 2015 were US$0.189/W, down from US$0.195.W in the first six months of 2014. </div><div><br></div><div>GCL-Poly noted that its latest ‘Multi-Wafer S4’, high-efficiency multi-crystalline silicon wafer production could not keep up with demand at certain times in the year. </div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-12:/communities/1/topics/52-longi-silicon-materials-deputy-general-manager-resigns/2015-11-12T02:25:09+00:002015-11-12T02:25:09+00:00Longi Silicon Materials deputy general manager resigns [ideas] <p>Major <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">monocrystalline</a> wafer producer Longi Silicon Materials said its deputy general manager has resigned.</p><div><br></div><div>Longi said the resignation of Mr Huang Lixin was due to personal reasons and noted he had made a commendable contribution to the development of the company during his tenure. </div><div><br></div><div>Longi has aggressive capacity expansion plans across ingot/wafer to solar cell/modules, having announced several gigawatts of expansions, including an integrated mono c-Si solar cell and module plant in India.</div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-11:/communities/1/topics/64-cop21-conergy-to-send-10-future-solar-leaders-to-paris-climate-talks/2015-11-11T02:21:05+00:002015-11-11T02:21:05+00:00COP21: Conergy to send 10 ‘future solar leaders’ to Paris climate talks [ideas] <p>Global solar company Conergy is to send 10 American students to the COP21 climate change negotiations in Paris this December as part of its newly launched Future Solar Leaders programme.</p><div><br></div><div>Conergy said the programme was designed to boost media coverage of solar policy and industry growth across the world as well as support the next wave of leaders in the solar market.</div><div><br></div><div>Conergy sorted through nearly 300 applicants before choosing the ten students for the programme. The students were selected based on previous climate change leadership, proficiency in communication and the ability to operate in business networking environments.</div><div><br></div><div>In Paris, the Future Leaders will interview United Nations delegates about solar and publish content on Conergy’s blog, with the aim of holding COP21 delegates accountable to strong <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">renewable energy</a> commitments.</div><div><br></div><div>Yann Brandt, regional head of the Americas at Conergy, said: “We are thrilled to launch this programme and support the next generation of solar leaders in elevating the topic of solar at these ever-important climate negotiations.”</div><div><br></div><p>The students chosen are Eric Beeler (George Washington University, Washington D.C.), Zach Bielak (Rice University, Houston, Texas), Rohith Desikan (Stanford University, Palo Alto, California), Emma Hutchinson (Stanford University, Palo Alto, California), Christina Cilento (Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois), Shana Gallagher (Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts), Jake Kornack (Willamette University, Salem, Oregon), Caroline Saunders (Vanderbilt, Nashville, Tennesse), Salwa Shameem (University of Chicago, Illinois), Kyle Sundman (University of Denver, Colorado).</p><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-10:/communities/1/topics/66-rescue-plan-for-indias-discoms-will-fail-without-tariff-reform-bridge-to-india/2015-11-10T02:43:27+00:002015-11-10T02:43:27+00:00Rescue plan for India’s Discoms will ‘fail’ without tariff reform - Bridge to India [ideas] <p>Plans to bolster India’s struggling power distribution companies, seen as critical to delivering the country’s ambitious solar plans, must also include an overhaul of electricity tariffs, experts have claimed.</p><div><br></div><div>In a blog post, Bridge to India said missing from last week’s rescue plan for India’s Discoms was “serious discussion” of tariff reform, without which the consultancy said efforts to put the organisations on a stable financial footing would “fail”.</div><div><br></div><div>The financial health of the Discoms is widely regarded to be a significant obstacle to India’s plans to deploy 100GW of solar in the next few years. With collective debt of some US$65 billion, Discoms are seen as unreliable off-takers for IPP-generated power and therefore and an impediment to development.</div><div><br></div><div>Towards the end of last week, the government published a package of measures to solve the Discom problem by easing their debt burdens over the coming year. State governments will be encouraged to take on up to 75% of the Discoms’ debt obligations.</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to the measures, Bridge to India welcomed the proposal for state governments to assume Discom debt. It said the move would force states to directly bear the cost of Discoms’ operating inefficiencies and tariff subsidies.</div><div><br></div><div>“The scheme will therefore hopefully significantly alter the behaviour of state governments going forward and improve political will for DISCOM reforms,” Bridge to India said.</div><div><br></div><div>But the consultancy highlighted the absence of discussion of tariff reform as a worrying omission. It said tariff reforms were being overlooked for politicial reasons but were needed to allow Discoms to charge prices that reflect cots of delivery, including a return on capital.</div><div><br></div><div>“If this is not done, Discoms will always stay in a poor financial state,” Bridge to India said. “If the states are unwilling to swallow this bitter pill, this scheme will fail like the previous restructuring package announced in 2013.”</div><div><br></div><p>Concluding, Bridge to India said the financial health of Discoms had “serious ramifications” for the continued growth of solar in India: “The economic case for <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">solar power</a> is becoming stronger by the day but off-take concerns can imperil the solar sector in much the same way as they have for the thermal power sector. A successful revival of the power distribution sector and tariff reforms will immensely benefit both utility scale and rooftop solar.”</p><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-09:/communities/1/topics/15-hanwha-q-cells-completes-275mw-module-delivery-to-roha-dyechem-in-india/2015-11-09T06:04:25+00:002015-11-09T06:04:25+00:00Hanwha Q CELLS completes 27.5MW module delivery to Roha Dyechem in India [ideas] <p>Module manufacturer Hanwha Q CELLS has supplied 27.5MW of HSL-72 modules to Mumbai-based synthetic and natural colour manufacturer and distributor Roha Dyechem.</p><div><br></div><div>The modules, rated at 305/310w, were installed at Bhadla in the state of Rajasthan and the project generates enough electricity to power around 7,000 households.</div><div><br></div><div>Roha is investing in <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">renewable projects</a> as part of a drive in environmental sustainability. The solar project is one of five plants, which are being built in Rajasthan State as part of Rajasthan’s state solar policy.</div><div><br></div><div>MY Kim, senior vice president of Hanwha Q CELLS in India, said: "Hanwha Q CELLS is pleased to power one of Roha's solar power plants and to support its clean energy initiatives. Hanwha Q CELLS has booked about 270MW to major energy companies in India year-to-date, with over 200MW of modules scheduled for shipment in 2015. We expect to accelerate our business in India going forward."</div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-06:/communities/1/topics/50-solaredge-reports-record-quarterly-revenue-with-strong-shipments/2015-11-06T01:55:14+00:002015-11-06T01:55:14+00:00SolarEdge reports record quarterly revenue with strong shipments [ideas] <p><a href="http://www.renesola.com/">PV inverter</a> manufacturer SolarEdge Technologies has reported record high fiscal first quarter revenue of US$115.1 million, up 16.9% from the previous quarter and 71.8% year-over-year. </p><div><br></div><div>SolarEdge shipped a total 356MW (AC) of inverters in the quarter, equating to 1,460,000 power optimizers and 54,000 inverters. North America remained its largest market with shipments totalling 232MW (AC). </div><div><br></div><div>The company said it had sold to more than 125 direct customers in 31 countries in the quarter, while sales in the US market accounted for 68.5% of revenue, down from 71.9% in the previous quarter.</div><div><br></div><div>GAAP gross margin was 29.1%, up from 28.7% in the prior quarter and up from 20.9% in the fiscal first quarter of 2015, which was due cost reduction plans, despite the company having to offer volume-based pricing discounts but also incurring lower ASPs from higher sales in Europe in the quarter due to exchange rates between the euro and the US dollar. </div><div><br></div><div>However, management noted in the earnings call that ASP decline was within its expected ASP per watt erosion guidance of 7.5% to 10% for 2015.</div><div><br></div><div>Guy Sella, founder, chairman and CEO of SolarEdge said: “We improved our gross margins and profitability while remaining within our plan for 7.5% to 10% price reduction for the year which we believe supports our goal to increase market share. These improved gross margins are a result of effective cost reductions which will continue to be a focus for our R&amp;D team.”</div><div><br></div><p></p><div>GAAP operating income in its fiscal first quarter was US$14.9 million, up from US$11.9 million in the prior quarter and up from operating income of US$2.4 million in the fiscal first quarter of 2015. </div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-05:/communities/1/topics/63-blp-forms-jv-with-norways-statkraft-for-distributed-solar-in-india/2015-11-05T02:53:51+00:002015-11-05T02:53:51+00:00BLP forms JV with Norway’s Statkraft for distributed solar in India [ideas] <p>India-based <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">renewable energy</a> company, Bharat Light and Power (BLP), and Norwegian state-owned electricity company Statkraft have formed a 50:50 joint venture to provide distributed solar in India.</p><div><br></div><div>The JV named Statkraft BLP Solar Solutions (SBSS) will offer both rooftop and ground-mount solar solutions to industrial and commercial consumers. SBSS will also provide various financing structures.</div><div><br></div><div>The Indian government has earmarked 40GW of rooftop solar to be installed by 2022 as part of its 100GW solar target.</div><div><br></div><div>BLP chief executive Tejpreet Chopra, said: “This partnership brings together two entities committed to support the government’s renewable energy objectives. By providing distributed solar energy solutions on a per kWh basis, storage and micro grid solutions, we intend to transform the way power is generated and consumed in India. This will go a long way in supporting the government’s mission of 24/7 power for all by 2019."</div><div><br></div><div>Statkraft chief executive, Christian Rynning-Tønnesen said: “Exploring new business opportunities within distributed solar energy are of great importance to Statkraft. The combination of our core competence in energy management and BLP’s local knowledge and expertise, constitutes a solid platform for value creating services to industrial and commercial customers in India”.</div><div><br></div><p>In September, Italian-based renewable energy developer Enel Green Power (EGP) entered the Indian market by acquiring a majority stake in utility-scale wind and solar operator BLP Energy, a subsidiary of BLP, for around EUR30 million (US$32.7 million).</p><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-05:/communities/1/topics/61-gtm-cost-cutting-module-level-power-electronics-market-to-exceed-1gw-by-2020/2015-11-05T01:45:14+00:002015-11-05T01:45:14+00:00GTM: Cost-cutting module-level power electronics market to exceed 1GW by 2020 [ideas] <p>By 2020, shipments of module-level power electronics will more than double from today’s levels in an increasingly competitive space, according to a new report from GTM Research.</p><div><br></div><div>Smart and AC <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">PV modules</a> that have integrated power electronics are gradually gaining traction in the global solar market. Overall they will represent a gigawatt-plus market by 2020, GTM said. From 73MW shipped in 2014, the research firm expects the market to leap to 1.01GW by 2020. Meanwhile in economic terms, market value will leap almost tenfold. Worth US$70 million last year, GTM expects a value of US$603 million worldwide by 2020.</div><div><br></div><div>The technology, which gives PV system operators the ability to control and monitor their systems at module level, rather than from a central inverter, offers tangible opportunities for cost reduction, according to Scott Moskowitz, lead author of the report, 'Smart and AC PV modules 2015-2020: Technologies, value propositions and forecasts for module-integrated power electronics'.</div><div><br></div><div>“The PV industry is hungry for solutions that simplify labour, eliminate redundancy and lower overall costs. Each of these objectives can be accomplished with smart and AC modules,” Moskowitz said.</div><div><br></div><div>As GTM pointed out, the market is not only growing but features an expanding field of players. Enphase and SolarEdge have traditionally carved up the vast majority of the microinverter and DC optimiser markets respectively, which presaged the module-level power electronics era, with the module-level space dominated by a small handful of companies including Tigo Energy and Maxim Integrated.</div><div><br></div><div>While the market will therefore grow significantly by 2020, it will still represent a relatively small share of the overall PV module market. Falling costs, increased competition and reduced mark-ups for manufacturers will contribute to the overall share rising from around 3% to 7%.</div><div><br></div><p>Further impetus to activity in the module-level market could come from a revision to fire safety codes in the US: proposed changes to the US National Electric Code around PV systems are widely expected to include requirements that PV systems must be capable of being shut down at module level, rather than central inverter level.</p><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-04:/communities/1/topics/9-8minutenergy-renewables-signs-ppa-for-191mw-solar-farm-in-los-angeles/2015-11-04T02:07:32+00:002015-11-04T02:07:32+00:008minutenergy Renewables signs PPA for 191MW solar farm in Los Angeles [ideas] <p>PV developer 8minutenergy Renewables has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA) for the 191MW Springbok 2 solar farm, located north of Los Angeles in Kern County, California.</p><div><br></div><div>The plant, located on 283 hectares of abandoned farmland, will supply <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">renewable energy</a> to more than 110,000 homes in southern California. 8minutenergy began developing the project in 2011.</div><div><br></div><div>The Springbok 2 project, which will use an advanced tracking system, is expected to reach commercial operation in Q4 2016. It is also expected to create around 300 direct and 400 indirect jobs during construction, according to the company.</div><div><br></div><div>8minutenergy chief executive Martin Hermann, said: “8minutenergy is enjoying tremendous momentum and has established itself as the leading independent solar provider in the US with 1,400MW of contracted projects. We broke ground on the Springbok 1 project as scheduled, and we’re pleased the Springbok 2 project is following close behind right on schedule.”</div><div><br></div><div>SCPPA signed the agreement on behalf of its participating member, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP).</div><div><br></div><p>Michael Webster, LADWP executive director of power system engineering and technical services, said: “Developing the Springbok 2 solar project is a critical step toward creating a clean energy future for Los Angeles and meeting our renewable energy targets of 25% by 2016 and 33% by 2020. We are very pleased the agreement has been achieved and the project is moving forward,”</p><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-03:/communities/1/topics/8-hanwha-q-cells-signs-deal-for-170mw-of-pv-in-austin-texas/2015-11-03T01:54:19+00:002015-11-03T01:54:19+00:00Hanwha Q CELLS signs deal for 170MW of PV in Austin, Texas [ideas] <p>The city of Austin in Texas is continuing its emergence as a US solar heavyweight with the news that Hanwha Q CELLS USA is to build a 170MW <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">PV power plant</a> for utility Austin Energy.</p><div><br></div><div>The two firms have signed a 25-year power purchase agreement for the project, which Hanwha will build on a privately owned site in Pecos County in the western part of Texas.</div><div><br></div><div>Last month the City of Austin, which runs Austin Energy, voted in favour plans to increase the city’s solar procurement target from 300MW to 450MW by 2019.</div><div><br></div><div>This followed plans outlined last year by Recurrent Energy to build 150MW of grid-competitive PV for Austin Energy under a 20-year PPA.</div><div><br></div><div>“We’re very pleased to be partnering with Hanwha to bring more clean solar energy to our customers,” said Larry Weis, general manager of Austin Energy, which serves 1 million residents in the Greater Austin area. “This action moves us closer to the City of Austin’s goal of 55% renewable energy production by 2025.”</div><div><br></div><div>The site for the latest project is close to several other large solar farms in development and will be connected to Texas’ ERCOT grid. Hanwha said interconnection applications for 10GW of solar have been filed with ERCOT.</div><div><br></div><div>“We’re very excited by the opportunity to work with Austin Energy and support their goal of adding significant solar energy to their generation portfolio,” said Laurence Greene, chief development officer of Hanwha Q CELLS USA. “The solar facility will be a state-of-the-art generation resource using high-performing and efficient technology that will transform the underutilised site into an environmentally sustainable source of power to the local community.”</div><div><br></div><p>Hanwha will develop, design and build the project. No timeline was given for completion.</p><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-11-02:/communities/1/topics/33-latest-heterojunction-c-si-record-breaker-among-japans-space-and-time-saving-solar-gadgets/2015-11-02T02:35:59+00:002015-11-02T02:35:59+00:00Latest heterojunction c-Si ‘record breaker’ among Japan’s space and time-saving solar gadgets [ideas] <p>A heterojunction c-Si <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">solar cell</a> with a conversion efficiency of 25.1% has been showcased by its maker at an event hosted by the Japanese government to exhibit technological innovations in “new energy”.</p><div>The government’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO) this week held a three-day “debriefing” where companies brought innovative products developed during Japan’s 2015 fiscal year, which ended in April. In Japan, clean energy is often referred to as “new” as well as by the term “renewable”. Products were shown off in the areas of solar, renewable or energy efficient heating, biomass, system interconnection and in marine energy, although solar dominated the numbers by some distance.</div><div>Solar industry products shown at the event, which took place from Wednesday until Friday, for the most part appeared to follow a common theme of space optimisation, especially in the ground mount and rooftop sectors, according to a summary of the event on the NEDO website.</div><div>In addition to the presentation of the 25.1%-efficient cell, which was created by a branch of Japanese chemicals manufacturer Kaneka Corporation in collaboration with NEDO, the products demonstrated included low cost tracking systems for installations on agricultural land, lightweight mounting systems for weak rooftops and specially designed modules for floating PV installations.</div><div>Kaneka’s 25.1% c-Si cell</div><div>News of Kaneka’s ‘record-breaking’ cell follows recent announcements by Japanese rival Panasonic and US installer SolarCity of record efficiencies measured for PV modules. Kaneka’s new device is a double-sided crystalline silicon cell, with the conversion efficiency verified by Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE.</div><div>The company announced in a press release (in Japanese) that it is targeting pilot production for the cells. Kaneka also said that it and NEDO were targeting cost reductions that could take the cost of energy down to Y14 per kWh by 2020 and then halve that to Y7 per kWh by 2030.</div><div>Finlay Colville, analyst with Solar Intelligence, said the new cell proved Kaneka had moved quickly in the crystalline silicon PV space, but that the jump to full commercialisation of the heterojunction cell would be the next challenge for the company.</div><div>“Previously Kaneka had been one of the early pioneers of amorphous silicon thin-film panels, and it was somewhat surprising a few years back when they announced having R&amp;D activities in the crystalline silicon field. Until now, only Japanese rival solar company Panasonic has been able to commercialise the heterojunction, or HIT, type cell,” Colville said.</div><div>“The key question however now is whether Kaneka is simply looking to licence out its know-how, or look for partners to fund volume manufacturing plans across Southeast Asia.”</div><div>Innovating towards a grid parity-driven market future</div><div>The event took place amid rumours that the country is considering an auction process for future large-scale solar developments. Japan’s utility-scale PV industry, booming in the immediate wake of the feed-in tariff (FiT) being introduced in the summer of 2012, has more or less slowed to a crawl.</div><div>Following high profile issues over grid connection and political wrangles over the cost of renewable energy support, it is thought that with a few exceptions, such as projects on water or on otherwise unusable space such as landfill sites, unless projects can be executed at grid parity the utility-scale sector will be severely limited to some 57GW of already FiT-approved projects that have been submitted to Japan’s regional power companies and are forming a queue.</div><div>For this reason, the immediate future for PV in what is still one of the world’s top markets looks increasingly likely to focus on rooftops, both commercial and residential, but with an emphasis expected on the latter. As with other markets targeting near-term grid parity, the imminent departure of the FiT by 2020 at the very latest – if not before then – many of those selling into the Japanese market are seeing self-consumption of PV-generated power by households and businesses as the answer to keeping solar economically viable.</div><div>Another big change imminent that could alter the landscape is the expected deregulation of the electricity industry next year, with more than 700 new would-be providers already registering an interest in entering a field currently restricted to just 10 players, Japan’s regional power companies, which at present are also responsible for the grid in their own service areas.</div><div>At the PV Expo show held towards the beginning of 2015, many industry sources PV Tech spoke to said they expected this deregulation or “unbundling” process to make a significant change and in the case of Canadian Solar CEO Shawn Qu, a significant boost, to the PV industry. </div><p>Meanwhile in a recent interview, Japanese thin-film maker and developer Solar Frontier expressed the opinion that grid parity is not far away for Japan’s residential PV market and even including battery storage in system kits, expects unsubsidised solar to be viable within a “couple of years”.</p><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-10-29:/communities/1/topics/42-no-mad-race-in-uttarakhand-solar-auction-but-bankability-fears-remain/2015-10-29T02:10:29+00:002015-10-29T02:10:29+00:00No ‘mad race’ in Uttarakhand solar auction but bankability fears remain [ideas] <p>All the winning bids in the latest 170MW Indian state solar auction in Uttarakhand have remained below the INR6/kWh (US$0.09) tariff, despite several bankers commenting on previous auctions that only prices of INR6-6.5 per unit would be workable given India’s market conditions.</p><div><br></div><div>However, Imran Ali Naqvi, head, strategy consulting, Gensol Engineering, and Bhuwan Mehta, senior consultant, at Gensol Engineering, who were both present at the auction, told PV Tech that the Uttarakhand bidding appears to be a “welcome change from the mad race” that was seen at the previous three auctions in Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Punjab, where the winning bids came in extremely close to the INR5/kWh mark.</div><div><br></div><div>Fears about the viability of projects won under such low bids in these three auctions were confirmed earlier this month when Gayrajan Kohli, senior manager, consulting, Bridge to India, told PV Tech that discussions with an unnamed leading project developer revealed that it was considering dropping one of the projects it won through an “overly aggressive strategy”.</div><div><br></div><div>The Gensol consultants said that the range of winning bids in Uttarakhand was INR5.57-5.99/kWh, with 22 individual projects being awarded in the bid. Indian firm Rays Power Infra was the lowest bidder with an average tariff of INR5.575/kWh.</div><div><br></div><div>The two Gensol consultants added: “Although, the questions of viability still remain, there is definitely a sign of caution here, and the tariff is somewhat representative of land and connectivity costs in Uttarakhand as compared to other bids.</div><div><br></div><div>“This bid will surely encourage small developers in future, and will help Uttarakhand to build its <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">renewable energy</a> portfolio through future offerings. Interestingly, unlike other bids, the winning bids are uniformly distributed throughout the winning range.”</div><div><br></div><div>No further information on the winning bidders was available at the time of writing.</div><div><br></div><div>Back in September, when the tendering was announced, Bridge to India consultant Mudit Jain told PV Tech that Uttarakhand already has abundant hydro power resources, while also having “very expensive” land, and he questioned the need for solar capacity in the state.</div><div><br></div><div>Last month, PV Tech also interviewed Bridge to India founder and managing director Tobias Engelmeier on the issue of low winning tariffs in India's state solar auctions.</div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-10-28:/communities/1/topics/31-thai-stock-exchange-cautions-superblock-shareholders-over-acquisition-of-solar-companies/2015-10-28T02:12:08+00:002015-10-28T02:12:08+00:00Thai Stock Exchange cautions Superblock shareholders over acquisition of solar companies [ideas] <p>The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) has warned shareholders of Thai utility Superblock about possible issues with a US$407 million investment in five <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">solar energy</a> companies, after independent financial advisor Sage Capital expressed concern about the acquisitions.</p><div><br></div><div>Earlier this month, Super Solar Energy Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Superblock, announced in a filing on the SET that it would acquire five companies with a combined capacity of 290MW of solar projects for THB14.45 billion (US$407.3 billion).</div><div><br></div><div>However, Sage Capital has cited issues with the acquisition of two out of the five companies, namely Energy Serve (ESERVE) and Power Technology International (PTI). Sage said their fair value is lower than the acquisition price.</div><div><br></div><div>Moreover, three solar projects from ESERVE have not yet been awarded PPAs from the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA).</div><div><br></div><div>A new filing on the SET, which cited Sage, said: “There is still risk from these projects failing to obtain the PPA.”</div><div><br></div><div>Sage was also reported to hold the following opinion: “The condition for the five transactions requiring the company to make a huge payment in advance to the counterparties in each transaction is inappropriate and not consistent with the usual condition for sale and purchase agreements in general, which is considered unfair to the company and leads to an opportunity cost on the funds prepaid by the company to the counterparties.”</div><div><br></div><div>As a consequence, SET recommended Superblock’s shareholders to “carefully study” the Sage Capital report and attend an extraordinary meeting to be held on 30 October in Bangkok in order to vote on the deal.</div><div><br></div><div>Sage Capital did list some pros of entering into the five transactions, including strengthening income stability, boosting profits, increasing dividend payment ability of the Company and helping to create economies of scale.</div><div><br></div><div>Nevertheless it added the company would bear higher debt and interest burden from all the transactions. It also cited potential issues with delayed project completion, the subsequent loss of PPAs, followed by the loss of funds invested in land acquisition.</div><div><br></div><div>The SET filing concluded: “Considering all 5 transactions, IFA have an opinion that shareholders should not approve the investment in PTI and ESERVE.”</div><div><br></div><p>The Board of Directors and Audit Committee, however, still considers the transaction to be “reasonable” for the business with its strengthening of operations and revenue generation and therefore recommends that the shareholders approve the transaction.</p><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-10-27:/communities/1/topics/21-solar-frontier-finds-buyers-for-15mw-us-power-plant/2015-10-27T01:40:36+00:002015-10-27T01:40:36+00:00Solar Frontier finds buyers for 15MW US power plant [ideas] <p>Leading CIS thin-film PV producer Solar Frontier has said Southern Power and Turner <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">Renewable Energy</a> have agreed to purchase its 15MW PV power plant currently under construction Kern County, California. </p><div><br></div><div>The PV power plant, named Morelos del Sol, located in Kern County, California was said to have started construction in July, 2015 and commercial operation is expected in late November this year.</div><div><br></div><div>The project will use approximately 111,744 CIS modules mounted on single-axis trackers. The project developer is Solar Frontier Americas Development LLC, a division of Solar Frontier Americas.</div><div><br></div><div>According to Southern Power, the project is its eighth solar acquisition in California, which teamed with Ted Turner, owner of Turner Renewable Energy, through a subsidiary in January 2010, focused on developing and investing in large-scale PV projects in the Southwest region of the US, which brings its overall PV capacity to more than 320MW.</div><div><br></div><p>DEPCOM Power was said by Southern Power to be providing engineering, procurement and construction services and would also operate and maintain the facility for Southern Power, which has a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Pacific Gas &amp; Electric Company.</p><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-10-26:/communities/1/topics/67-tenergie-refinances-54mw-of-solar-assets-for-150-million/2015-10-26T02:17:09+00:002015-10-26T02:17:09+00:00Tenergie refinances 54MW of solar assets for €150 million [ideas] <p>France-based <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">renewable energy</a> company Tenergie has successfully refinanced its 54.4MW of solar assets for €150 million (US$166 million) with a bank syndicate led by Credit Agricole Group.</p><div><br></div><div>The transaction was initiated in May, including the following actors: Credit Agricole Group, Unifergie, LCL, Credit Agricole Alpes-Provence, Shore Investment, BPIFrance Financing and the Postal bank.</div><div><br></div><div>Nicolas Jeuffrain, president of Tenergie, said: "This operation has allowed us to benefit from the current favourable market conditions. We have also been able to align our investment vehicles and standardise our solar projects.</div><div><br></div><div>“This refinancing shows our ambition to be part of the leading independent producers in France. We continue our consolidation strategy, particularly through acquisitions."</div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-10-23:/communities/1/topics/13-dewa-receives-95-expressions-of-interest-for-800mw-dubai-solar-project/2015-10-23T01:53:52+00:002015-10-23T01:53:52+00:00DEWA receives 95 expressions of interest for 800MW Dubai solar project [ideas] <p>The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has received 95 expressions of interest from international energy companies for the third phase of its Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">solar park</a>.</p><div><br></div><div>In September, DEWA put out the tender request for the 800MW project, which is currently being built in the Seih Al Dahal area of Dubai.</div><div><br></div><div>The project is based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. The 200MW second phase was awarded to a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power and Spain’s Grupo TSK. It is anticipated that the third phase will be broken up and awarded to several bidders.</div><div><br></div><div>DEWA is now preparing Request for Qualification (RFQ) documents for the third phase, which is expected to be released by November. Meanwhile the full tender is expected to be released before 2016.</div><div><br></div><div>Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and chief executive of DEWA, said the park's capacity will eventually reach 3GW by 2030.</div><div><br></div><div>He added: “DEWA has proved its flexibility to meet updates in the energy sector based on its success in getting the cheapest international price for solar power, at US$ 5.4 cents per kilowatt hour. We increased the targeted energy mix for renewable energy target in the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 from 1% to 7% by 2020 and from 5% to 15% by 2030.”</div><div><br></div><div>Al Tayer said the second 200MW project will be ready by April 2017.</div><div><br></div><div>Once complete the park will include a museum for solar and include an R&amp;D centre including one section for PV and another for CSP testing.</div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-10-22:/communities/1/topics/53-greater-ambition-needed-on-energy-decarbonisation-ahead-of-cop21-iea/2015-10-22T01:59:05+00:002015-10-22T01:59:05+00:00Greater ambition needed on energy decarbonisation ahead of COP21 - IEA [ideas] <p>National climate pledges so far submitted by countries ahead of the forthcoming COP21 talks fall short of the action needed to keep global warming within safe limits, the International Energy Agency claims.</p><div><br></div><div>A ‘World Energy Outlook’ special briefing published today by the IEA said greater ambition was needed by countries in cutting greenhouse gas emissions if temperature increases are to be kept below 2 degrees Celsius.</div><div><br></div><div>So far over 150 countries have submitted so-called ‘intended nationally determined contributions’ (INDCs), the pledges of action that will form the basis of discussions at the COP21 summit in Paris in December.</div><div><br></div><div>The IEA said that together these pledges would reduce growth in energy-related emissions, which account for two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions, considerably by 2030.</div><div><br></div><div>But according to the agency’s analysis, they would be insufficient to change the current global trajectory, which is to overshoot the 2-degree warming limit within this century. The IEA said the INDCs should therefore be regarded as the minimum level of action countries are prepared to take.</div><div><br></div><div>“Pledges for COP21 will have a positive impact on future energy sector trends, but fall short of the major course correction required to achieve the agreed climate goal,” the report said.</div><div><br></div><div>“If climate ambition is not raised progressively, it is estimated that the path set by the INDCs would be consistent with an average global temperature increase of around 2.7 degrees Celsius by 2100, falling short of limiting the increase to no more than 2 degrees Celsius. The INDCs must therefore be viewed as an important base upon which to build ambition.”</div><div><br></div><div>The IEA has already outlined a course of action that it says could achieve a peak in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 through a concerted investment push in renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency.</div><div><br></div><div>Its latest report acknowledged that many of theses measures are included within some of the submitted INDCs. “But there is scope for their adoption to be broadened and their level of ambition to be raised,” the report added.</div><div><br></div><div>The IEA said achieving the “ultimate climate goal” would require greater innovation in the energy sector and on the deployment of “new and emerging energy sector technologies that have the potential to deliver the transformational change”.</div><div><br></div><div>This echoes observations reported yesterday by PV Tech made by Sir David King on the need for a global ‘Apollo’ programme to boost <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">clean energy</a> research and development.</div><div><br></div><div>In an interview with PV Tech, Sir David said globally coordinated investment was required to help renewables such as solar make the final push towards competitiveness with fossil fuels.</div><div><br></div><div>He said he was hopeful that political discussions already underway and the momentum generated by the COP21 talks would result in an agreement on the proposed initiative, in which solar PV and storage would be a key focus.</div><div><br></div><div>Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, reiterated the importance of Paris in spurring the energy sector to take faster action on decarbonisation. “The energy industry needs a strong and clear signal from the Paris climate summit. Failing to send this signal will push energy investments in the wrong direction, locking-in unsustainable energy infrastructure for decades,” he said.</div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-10-21:/communities/1/topics/56-akcome-to-use-huaweis-smart-pv-om-technology/2015-10-21T01:40:40+00:002015-10-21T01:40:40+00:00Akcome to use Huawei’s ‘Smart PV’ O&amp;M technology [ideas] <p>PV utility-scale project developer and back-end PV components producer Akcome is to deploy Huawei’s ‘Smart PV’ O&amp;M technology on gigawatts of <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">PV power plant</a> projects.</p><div><br></div><div>Earlier this year, Huawei signed a comprehensive Smart PV cooperation agreement with Akcome Electric Power Development Co for a total capacity of 1.8GW that incorporated its smart PV controller and intelligent operation &amp; maintenance (O&amp;M) management system.</div><div><br></div><div>Implementation of the Smart PV system was said to be ongoing with a 90MW project on former saline wasteland in Jinghe County, Bozhou State, Xinjiang Province that is expected to be grid connected by the end of November 2015. </div><div><br></div><div>The plant is also using Huawei inverters that are equipped with precisions sensors which can monitor the running status of each PV string. Big data analysis and data mining that covers all data instead of data samples are expected to be implemented that also enable operators to analyze the running and revenue statistics of the power plants in detail. Power plant efficiencies are also expected to be compared in various dimensions to identify power plant optimisation opportunities. </div><div><br></div><p>Currently, Akcome is building a new O&amp;M centre to monitor and manage all of its PV power assets, which are expected to reach around 1GW in 2015. </p><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-10-20:/communities/1/topics/6-thai-utility-superblock-to-acquire-five-solar-companies/2015-10-20T02:20:17+00:002015-10-20T02:20:17+00:00Thai utility Superblock to acquire five solar companies [ideas] <p>Super <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">Solar Energy</a> Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thai utility Superblock, will acquire five solar energy companies, according to a filing on the Thailand Stock Exchange.</p><div><br></div><div>The transaction is worth a total 14 billion baht (US$396 million) and the five project companies have a combined capacity of 290MW of electricity generation.</div><div><br></div><div>The five companies are:</div><div><br></div><div>Power Technology International (PTI) – 55.6MW</div><div>Energy Serve (ESERVE) – 81.45MW</div><div>Infinite Alternative Energy (IAE) – 87MW</div><div>Amanuve (AMN) – 30MW</div><div>Sri Naga Power (SNP) – 36MW</div><div>In the filing, Jormsup Lochaya, Superblock chairman of the board, said: “The company has a policy to invest in business expansion and production of electricity from renewable energy. In particular solar – the company plans to expand this side constantly.”</div><div><br></div><div>In June, Superblock announced plans to invest 30 billion baht this year to expand its solar energy business.</div><div><br></div><p>The company set a 500MW target for commercial operation of solar capacity this year. At the time, it had already signed deals for 396MW of solar plants for 2015. The company also aims to double capacity to 1GW in 2016 and up to 2GW over the next three years.</p><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-10-19:/communities/1/topics/60-shunfeng-launches-om-firm-in-germany/2015-10-19T01:48:44+00:002015-10-19T01:48:44+00:00Shunfeng launches O&amp;M firm in Germany [ideas] <p>Shunfeng International Clean Energy (SFCE), the owner of module maker Suntech, has launched a new O&amp;M company in Germany named Raising Power.</p><div><br></div><div>The new firm, which is headquartered in Augsburg, also has locations in Los Angeles and Shanghai and has an existing portfolio of more than 500MW of <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">solar PV</a> capacity under contract globally.</div><div><br></div><div>In September, Shunfeng purchased insolvent German project developer SAG Solarstrom for €65 million (US$85.4million). Solarstrom had been looking for new investment after a number of delayed project payments forced it to begin insolvency proceedings at the end of 2013.</div><div><br></div><div>Shunfeng has now founded Raising Power in Germany, claiming that its team has “extensive expertise” in remote monitoring and experience in the technical operation and administration of PV systems. Supported by SFCE, the firm will work with investors, system manufacturers and operators as well as suppliers and customers.</div><div><br></div><div>Dirk Stahf, chief executive of Raising Power, said the company’s goal is to optimise existing solar plants, of which 70% are not operating to their maximum energy yields. The company also aims to maximise returns on investment in solar power.</div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-10-16:/communities/1/topics/29-china-sunergy-restructuring-manufacturing-footprint/2015-10-16T02:03:31+00:002015-10-16T02:03:31+00:00China Sunergy restructuring manufacturing footprint [ideas] <p>Struggling <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">PV</a> manufacturer China Sunergy (CSUN) is planning to relocate its manufacturing operations in China and expand its manufacturing footprint overseas in a major new move. </p><div><br></div><div>CSUN said that the actions were intended to improve its cost competitiveness and counter anti-dumping actions in the US, EU and potentially in other regions in the future. </div><div><br></div><div>Tingxiu Lu, chairman and CEO of China Sunergy said: "Since the inception of our first oversea[s] plant - Turkey plant, our efforts to diversify CSUN's manufacturing base [has] never stop [sic]. The move helps to enhance our global supply chain, gain access to local customers and minimise potential negative impacts from anti-dumping cases in the US, EU, or elsewhere. Looking ahead, we will continue to improve our cost competitiveness and strengthen our global footprint by the combination of moving our existing facilities in mainland China and building new facilities in the countries which have cost and geographic advantages."</div><div><br></div><div>The company announced the plans in a press release celebrating the formal volume production ramp at its new 200MW solar cell plant in Incheon, South Korea.</div><div><br></div><div>CSUN noted that trial production had successfully started in May 2015 and said the company would consider expanding production to 500MW with additional production lines once the facility has reached around 50% utilisation rates. </div><div><br></div><div>CSUN-branded solar modules would be produced by local Korean module assembly firms, according to the company. </div><div><br></div><div>The company was one of the first Chinese producers to establish an overseas plant, located in Turkey, to supply primarily customers in Europe. </div><div><br></div><div>CSUN had report revenue of US$91.5 million in the first quarter of 2015, compared to US$126.7 million in the prior quarter due to lower shipments to customers in China and Europe that generated a loss of US$12.2 million.</div><div><br></div><div>CSUN exited the first quarter of 2015 with cash and cash equivalents of US$32.4 million and restricted cash of US$147.4 million but has approximately $377.2 million in borrowings that fall due within 2015. The company raised going concern issues in its 2014 annual report. </div><div><br></div><div>It remains unclear at this time what the company meant by 'moving existing facilities' and calls to the company in China were not answered at time of posting.</div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-10-15:/communities/1/topics/12-german-pv-module-manufacturer-heckert-solar-taking-production-to-300mw/2015-10-15T01:59:57+00:002015-10-15T01:59:57+00:00German PV module manufacturer Heckert Solar taking production to 300MW [ideas] Germany-based <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">PV module</a> manufacturer Heckert Solar said was expanding production capacity to around 300MW to improve cost competitiveness. <div><br></div><div>Heckert Solar said the capacity expansion was expected to be complete by the end of the first quarter 2016, providing around 60MW of new capacity. Details on capital expenditure requirements were not disclosed. </div><div><br></div><div>However, the company noted that the with the capacity expansion it was also migrating module production from 4 to 5 busbar technology, providing an increase in module efficiencies, as part of its strategy to remain competitive and response to the possible expiration of the minimum import pricing (MIP) of Chinese produced modules. </div><div><br></div><div>Michael Bönisch, sales manager of Heckert Solar GmbH said, "We have fewer concerns about the unfair competition from some Chinese manufacturers, as compared to the legal and political uncertainties. Should the latter be dispelled, we are ready to quickly invest in the further expansion of our production capacity. "</div><div><br></div><div>Recently, German-based PV module assembler, aleo solar said it was adding 200MW of solar cell production to its previously dedicated module manufacturing facility via its parent (Sino-American Silicon) subsidiary Sunrise Global Solar. </div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-10-14:/communities/1/topics/4-dupont-touts-role-in-rec-solars-twinpeak-module/2015-10-14T02:05:25+00:002015-10-14T02:05:25+00:00DuPont touts role in REC Solar’s ‘TwinPeak’ module [ideas] DuPont Microcircuit Materials (DuPont) said it had recently collaborated with <a href="http://us.renesola.com/">PV module</a> manufacturer REC Solar in bringing its ‘TwinPeak’ module to market. DuPont noted that it’s ‘Solamet’ PV76x metallization paste, an advanced front side silver material designed specifically to enhance Passivated Emitter Rear Cell (PERC) technology was used in REC Solar’s half-cut cells. <br><br>“This achievement is the result of close collaboration in which DuPont and REC have focused on optimizing successive generations of materials and manufacturing technologies so that they work better together,” said Thomas Lin, global photovoltaics marketing manager, DuPont Microcircuit Materials. “DuPont continues to innovate with Solamet pastes and bring the latest advanced materials to help improve the power output of solar panels even further. PERC is an exciting technology that Solamet pastes enable, and REC is getting outstanding results.”<br><br>The TwinPeak Series feature half cut cells, split junction boxes, four bus bars and PERC technology, resulting in higher overall energy yield.<br><br>REC Solar is currently running production at its Singapore plant at full capacity and is expected to complete a capacity expansion to 1.3GW by the end of the year, while migrating more of its existing capacity to PERC technology and boosting its TwinPeak module production. <br><br><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-10-13:/communities/1/topics/47-et-solar-forms-epc-partnership-in-brazil/2015-10-13T03:34:15+00:002015-10-13T03:34:15+00:00ET solar forms EPC partnership in Brazil [ideas] ET Solar Chile, the Latin American subsidiary of PV developer ET Solar, has formed a consortium with Brazil-based electronics manufacturer WEG to offer turnkey <a href="http://us.renesola.com/">PV services</a> for the Brazilian market.<div><br></div><div>The consortium also plans to offer O&amp;M services. It has already begun working with customers and expects to begin construction activities in the first quarter of 2016.</div><div><br></div><div>Manfred Peter Johann, managing director of WEG Automation, said: “ET Solar's global EPC experience delivering turnkey projects coupled with WEG's high-quality components will allow our consortium to offer products and services packages to investors that will conform with the financial pre-requisites established by the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) at a moment when the Brazilian market is very receptive to PV solutions implementation."</div><div><br></div><div>Jaime Portaluppi, ET Solar's managing director for Latin America, said: "The consortium grants access to the Brazilian market with compliance with BNDES content requirements. Our partnership comes at a time when Brazil is giving signals of embracing PV as a viable and cost effective alternative to their energy matrix."</div><div><br></div><div>Last week, PV Tech reported that JinkoSolar had frozen plans to build a 200-300MW module assembly line in Brazil, due to uncertainties in the Brazilian marketplace and currency risks. While this uncertainty related to manufacturing, PV project development is also affected as BNDES is only offering financing to PV players that follow a progressive nationalisation plan for equipment manufacturing.</div><div><br></div><div>Nevertheless, in September, Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) introduced a new solar PV target of 7GW of installed capacity by 2024, almost doubling its previous target.</div><div><br></div><div>Brazil's latest solar auction resulted in the award of 833MW of solar power projects out of a total 11.3GW of short-listed projects, showing that Brazil has become a highly competitive market.</div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-10-10:/communities/1/topics/38-sunpower-makes-sideways-swipe-at-record-efficiency-claims/2015-10-10T01:47:30+00:002015-10-10T01:47:30+00:00SunPower makes sideways swipe at ‘record efficiency’ claims [ideas] Following a week in which SolarCity and then Panasonic both claimed to have achieved record efficiencies, SunPower has hit back, saying its products are “the most efficient solar panels commercially available today”.<div><br></div><div>The vertically integrated US <a href="http://us.renesola.com/">PV</a> services provider made the claim via its corporate blog. While the company did not mention either of the rival companies in the piece, it is thought to be a response to news stories emerging from the SolarCity and Panasonic camps.</div><div><br></div><div>SolarCity, a third party lease provider and according to GTM Research, the holder of around a third of total market share for residential installations in the US, said last Friday that its panels had achieved a 22.04% reading. The panels are also the first to be produced by SolarCity itself, with the company having previously bought in panels and other equipment for projects. SolarCity purchased module manufacturer Silevo to create its own 1GW manufacturing base, with the latest modules having come off that pilot production line.</div><div><br></div><div>Just days later, Japanese manufacturer Panasonic claimed that its newest commercial prototype rooftop module had a recorded efficiency of 22.5%. The Panasonic record was verified by the Japanese National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology while SolarCity’s record was verified at the Renewable Energy Test Center in the US.</div><div><br></div><div>However, SunPower’s blog appeared to draw the distinction between the pilot line and prototype modules unveiled by the others, by highlighting that its top of the range product, the X-Series X21 panel, has been available to customers since 2013.</div><div><br></div><div>Verified as the highest efficiency panel at the time of its launch by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the X-Series has a listed efficiency of 21.5%. Furthermore, SunPower said, NREL had “in some cases” found that the X-Series is exceeding 22% efficiency.</div><div><br></div><div>SunPower went on to say in its blog that it saw the competition as “healthy” and used the opportunity to further promote X-Series.</div><div><br></div><div>While the differences in efficiency may seem relatively minor, especially as two have yet to reach full commercialisation, the announcements have certainly generated trade press headlines for all three companies.</div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-10-09:/communities/1/topics/48-state-coal-mining-firm-plans-1gw-of-solar-in-india/2015-10-09T02:13:37+00:002015-10-09T02:13:37+00:00State coal mining firm plans 1GW of solar in India [ideas] State-owned coal mining company Coal India Limited (CIL) plans to develop 1GW of <a href="http://us.renesola.com/">solar power</a> projects across India in a bid to reduce its carbon footprint.<div><br></div><div>Nagendra Kumar, technical director of CIL, told PV Tech that the company has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to carry out the solar projects. SECI was recently renamed Renewable Energy Corporation of India (RECI) as it became a commercial entity.</div><div><br></div><div>Kumar said: “We are trying to locate new states, but at the first stage we are looking at Madhya Pradesh.”</div><div><br></div><div>CIL plans to complete at least one 250MW project within one year in Madhya Pradesh. Kumar added that to complete 1GW of installations there is a problem with land acquisition currently. Land in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa and Chhattisgarh were cited as potential options.</div><div><br></div><div>Kumar said the entrance into the solar market is “one step” the company is taking to reduce its carbon footprint.</div><div><br></div><div>Yesterday multinational conglomerate Aditya Birla Group also announced its partnership with private equity investor Abraaj Group to develop utility-scale solar power plants in India. The new renewable energy platform, Aditya Birla Renewables Limited, plans to bid for projects tendered in both state and national auctions in India. For example, there are state auctions coming up in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.</div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-09-30:/communities/1/topics/40-aes-distributed-energys-securitisation-worth-us100-million/2015-09-30T02:16:08+00:002015-09-30T02:16:08+00:00AES Distributed Energy’s securitisation worth US$100 million [ideas] The solar industry’s sixth securitisation to date, due for launch by Colorado-based AES Distributed Energy, will be worth US$100 million, backed against the company’s portfolio of solar generation assets.<div><br></div><div>The offering follows four securitisations to date by SolarCity and one for Sunrun in what is becoming an emerging trend for the PV industry as solar becomes a more attractive proposition for the mainstream investment community.</div><div><br></div><div>The statistical rating organisation Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA) put the US$100 million tag on the sale of a mixture of Class A and Class B notes. It will be split into US$92.5 million in Class A notes and the remaining US$7.5 million in Class B notes. The analysis is executed on the filing which AES made last week. KBRA rated the Class A tranche at BBB and the Class B tranche at B.</div><div><br></div><div>AES platform Aurora Master Funding is issuing the notes, with Morgan Stanley acting as structuring advisor, sole bookrunner and initial purchaser. AES DE is also partnered with a Morgan Stanley subsidiary, MS Solar Solutions Corp, for developing solar assets and with further divisions of Morgan Stanley for ownership and operation of assets.</div><div><br></div><div>AES is backing the deal through 15 of its distributed energy companies, classified as “project companies”. This consists of 12 commercial and industrial, municipal and small utility (CIMU) project companies, and a further 3 residential project companies.</div><div><br></div><div>The commercial and industrial segment breaks down to 1,548 assets across six US states and the US Virgin Islands, on 97 project sites, with assets earning revenues through PPAs, as well as through performance-based incentives (PBIs) and Solar <a href="http://us.renesola.com/">Renewable Energy</a> Certificates (SRECs), which are applicable in states with renewable portfolio standards (RPS) legislation. In the residential segment meanwhile, AES DE has 1,451 lease agreements with homeowners which pay out fixed fees.</div><div><br></div><div>In other words, while the company’s assets are weighted 93.7% to 6.3% in favour of residential systems versus commercial and industrial in terms of numbers, the total assets in terms of the value of aggregate discounted solar asset balance (“ADSAB”), made up of leases, revenues and PPAs, are instead weighted 70.5% to 29.5% in favour of CIMU assets. The total ADSAB is worth US$128 million, for the company’s total portfolio of 42.8MW.</div><div><br></div><div>KBRA described AES DE as an “experienced and capable asset manager” in both segments, for its track record of developing, financing, owning and operating projects in North America since 2009. Energy production has averaged at 102% above expectations for CIMU and residential project companies. Technical due diligence was carried out by engineering firm Black &amp; Veatch.</div><div><br></div><div>“KBRA believes the portfolio’s strong performance is a reflection of the Company’s operational strategy and technical expertise,” the report said.</div><div><br></div><div>In addition, AES DE enters into contracts with customers rated “prime” for their credit rating scores, classed as above 700 on the US FICO index. The average FICO score is 768 for AES DE customers, and in particular gave CIMU contracted customers at the company an average weighted A+ rating in terms of the ADSAB.</div><div><br></div><div>However, the agency wrote that while the assets have performed above expectations, AES DE has grown significantly in a short space of time, leading to a risk of overstretching resources and expenses. KBRA also said that as solar is relatively new as an asset class, historical performance data is collated only over a short time and led to the agency modelling financial projections from its credit rating models in forecasting the possibility of residential default payments. It therefore also used credit analysis of counterparties in the CIMU to analysis the overall proposition of that segment.</div><br/><br/>suggested by: weijing3333weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-09-29:/communities/1/topics/2-the-solar-street-price/2015-09-29T05:40:33+00:002015-09-29T05:40:33+00:00The Solar street price? [ideas] There are many Factors affecting <a href="http://us.renesola.com/">solar street</a> price, such as pole height, lamp brightness, the brightness of the lamp could affect the lighting length. So Who can told me the details of these factor and the solar street price?<br/><br/> alice915 replied:<br/>You can see the solar street price in <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">Renesola</a>.weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-09-29:/communities/1/topics/11-china-sunergy-posts-further-losses-on-q1-shipment-and-revenue-declines/2015-09-29T03:03:21+00:002015-09-29T03:03:21+00:00China Sunergy posts further losses on Q1 shipment and revenue declines [ideas] Struggling <a href="http://us.renesola.com/">PV</a> module manufacturer China Sunergy (CSUN) has reported a first quarter 2015 net loss of US$12.2 million as revenue fell 27.8% and shipments declined 37.2% from the prior quarter. <div><br></div><div>Despite a positive operating income of US$5.5 million in the first quarter, compared with loss from operations of US$2.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2014, CSUN was also impacted by the depreciation of RMB against US dollar, Euro against US dollar and Turkish Lila against US dollar to the tune of a US$14.3 million expense. </div><div><br></div><div>The foreign exchange loss related to its Turkey-based cell/module plant was approximately US$4.3 million and around US$10.5 million at its mainland China facilities. </div><div><br></div><div>CSUN exited the first quarter of 2015 with cash and cash equivalents of US$32.4 million and restricted cash of US$147.4 million but has approximately US$377.2 million in borrowings that fall due within 2015. The company raised going concern issues in its 2014 annual report. </div><div><br></div><div>CSUN had revenue of US$91.5 million in the first quarter of 2015, compared with US$126.7 million in the prior quarter due to lower shipments to customers in China and Europe. </div><div><br></div><div>Revenue from self-brand modules and cells business totalled US$84.3 million in the quarter, accounting for 92.1% of the total revenue, while revenue from the modules and cells processed under OEM arrangements were US$6.6 million, or for 7.2% of total revenue.</div><div><br></div><div>Despite the declines, own module ASPs were US$0.58/W, down from US$0.59/W in the prior quarter, though ASPs for the full-year 2014 stood at US$0.63/W. </div><div><br></div><div>Gross profit for the first quarter was US$10.3 million on gross margin of 11.3%, compared to gross profit of US$5.2 million on gross margin of 4.1% for the fourth quarter of 2014. The increase in gross profit and gross margin was said to be primarily due to higher shipments of self-branded modules and lower material costs as well as R&amp;D costs. </div><div><br></div><div>The company did provide guidance for the second quarter or update on debt repayments looming. CSUN is also facing another NASDAQ de-listing notice. </div><br/><br/> alice915 replied:<br/>The <a href="http://us.renesola.com/">PV</a> module of <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">Renesola</a> is good.weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-09-25:/communities/1/topics/22-conergy-extends-finance-facility-to-power-solar-business/2015-09-25T05:27:47+00:002015-09-25T05:27:47+00:00Conergy extends finance facility to power solar business [ideas] Solar developer Conergy has extended its bank guarantee facility with Tennenbaum Capital to US$75 million using funding from Goldman Sachs BDC in order to power an expansion of its solar business.<div><br></div><div>Andrew de Pass, chief executive at Conergy, said the facility would help the company execute a “global growth plan” in <a href="http://us.renesola.com/">solar</a> with the company looking to expand specifically into bidding, pre-construction, construction and output areas of the industry.</div><div><br></div><div>Conergy’s existing facility amount to around US$60 million, more than half of which was used to finance a 37MW project in the UK as well as a 50MW project located in the Philippines.</div><div><br></div><div>“Our upsized bank guarantee facility is a testament to the increased demand Conergy is seeing for its services in a number of different countries around the world,” said Timothy Gravely, managing director at Tennenbaum Capital Partners.</div><div><br></div><div>In July Conergy joined the growing list of developers to vocally criticise the UK government’s plans to remove Renewable Obligation support for sub-5MW projects, stating the risk the plans had to “further disrupt investor confidence” in the country.</div><br/><br/> alice915 replied:<br/>The <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">Renesola</a> is a solar company.weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-09-23:/communities/1/topics/14-strong-pv-end-market-demand-pushing-product-pricing-higher-energytrend/2015-09-23T03:37:00+00:002015-09-23T03:37:00+00:00Strong PV end-market demand pushing product pricing higher – EnergyTrend [ideas] Taiwan-based market research firm EnergyTrend, a division of TrendForce expects prices for polysilicon, wafers, cells and modules to steadily increase through the second half of the year as downstream demand in China, US, Japan and India remains strong. <div><br></div><div>EnergyTrend said that not only were China-based tier-1 PV module manufacturers running at full-capacity but many tier 2 producers were also in the same position, driven by expectations that China could exceed the government targets of over nearly 18GW this year. </div><div><br></div><div>Polysilicon pricing has so far been dampened due to overcapacity and the imposition of anti-dumping duties on primarily US polysilicon producers.</div><div><br></div><div>However, key Chinese producers such as GCL-Poly and Daqo New Energy are scrambling to add capacity. However, EnergyTrend expects a rebound in ASPs over the next few months from US$13.5/kg to US$14/kg on average, currently. </div><div><br></div><div>Demand is also helping ASP recovery in wafers and cells. </div><div><br></div><div>Taiwanese <a href="http://us.renesola.com/">cell</a> manufacturers were said to have been able to keep ASPs at around US$0.32/W, due to higher efficiency rates, which were said be around 17.8%. </div><div><br></div><div>Taiwanese cell ASPs are expected to rise to the US$0.325/W level, while the Chinese cells will be approaching to the range of RMB2.25~2.3/W.</div><div><br></div><div>However, PERC-based cell demand was said to be weak at the moment due to low volume production and processes yet to be dialled-in before efficiency rates become stable. </div><br/><br/> alice915 replied:<br/>Strong <a href="http://cn.renesola.com/">PV</a> end-market demand pushing product pricing higher – EnergyTrend is good.weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-09-23:/communities/1/topics/39-pv-module-revenues-set-to-peak-in-2016-before-next-slowdown-ihs/2015-09-23T02:38:19+00:002015-09-23T02:38:19+00:00PV module revenues set to peak in 2016 before next slowdown - IHS [ideas] <a href="http://us.renesola.com/">PV</a> module manufacturers are expected to see record revenues next year as the recovery for the industry that has been gathering pace in the last 18 months reaches its peak, according to IHS.Figures from the market research firm’s PV Module Intelligence Service indicate that module revenues will hit a record US$41.9 billion in 2016, exceeding the previous record set in 2010 by 4%.<br><br>Strong demand in a number of markets, a stable pricing environment and a fresh wave of new capacity expansions have all created favourable conditions for module manufacturers after several years of intesnse competition, IHS said.<br><br>In the final quarter of 2015, module shipments are expected to rise 29% year over year to 18.7GW in the quarter.<br><br>That growth is expected to continue into 2016, when total module shipments are expected to exceed those seen in 2015 by 10%, according to IHS.<br><br>“Compared to prior years, this period of strong growth in solar installation demand, coupled with tight supply, will support relatively robust pricing,” said Edurne Zoco, senior principal analyst for IHS Technology. “In fact average annual prices are forecast to decline significantly less than in previous years.”<br><br>But after 2016, PV’s growth trajectory looks less positive, with a slowdown in global demand for modules expected, and a consequential drop in module prices of around 9%. IHS said one of the factors contributing to this scenario is the likely decline in the US market in 2017 if the reduction in the federal investment tax credit goes ahead as planned at the start of that year.<br><br>“This year and next year will mark a climax in the recovery of the solar PV sector, after a period of intense price reductions and margin compression, when average gross margins fell into the mid single digits or lower,” Zoco said.<br><br>“Even so, the predicted slowdown in global demand in 2017 – on the back of a decline in the United States – is likely to challenge these suppliers once again, since manufacturing capacity additions are set to dangerously outpace industry demand. Competition will intensify, which will lead to accelerating declines in prices and gross margins, for the first time since 2012.”<br><br><br/><br/> alice915 replied:<br/>What about the <a href="http://us.renesola.com/">PV</a> module of <a href="http://cn.renesola.com/">Renesola</a>???weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-09-21:/communities/1/topics/7-seraphim-solar-plans-us-assembly-plant-expansion-to-1gw/2015-09-21T05:22:26+00:002015-09-21T05:22:26+00:00Seraphim Solar plans US assembly plant expansion to 1GW [ideas] China-based <a href="http://us.renesola.com/">PV</a> module manufacturer Seraphim Solar is expecting its first overseas facility (300MW) in Jackson, Mississippi to be operational in November 2015 and plans at expand capacity to 1GW over the next three years. <div><br></div><div>The module assembly plant is claimed to be equipped with highly automated equipment and said to be “the most intelligent automated production line in the industry”.</div><div><br></div><div>"Building this plant in the USA is one of many steps to Seraphim's aggressive global strategy,” said Justin Xi, the Global Executive GM of Seraphim. “We are continuing to expand in order to meet the increasing global demand for our products." </div><div><br></div><div>The company said that it had recently completed its 600MW module assembly capacity expansion in China, providing a nameplate capacity of 1.1GW. </div><div><br></div><div>The company had announced the expansion in May, 2014 according to PV Tech’s quarterly capacity announcement report, published in sister technical journal Photovoltaics International. </div><div><br></div><div>Seraphim also revealed that its US assembly plant would be producing its DuraFlex modules, which are able to bear up to 8000Pa mechanical load as well as its ‘smart’ module offering ‘EzBox’ configured with three junction boxes, to reducing issues with rooftop shading and boost module performance. </div><div><br></div><div>Seraphim was the first PV module manufacturer to pass TUV SUD 'Thresher' test and TUV SUD’s on-site Power Measurement Validation program, which guarantees the modules true power output, compared to STC. </div><br/><br/> alice915 replied:<br/>This news from <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">Renesola</a>.weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-09-18:/communities/1/topics/5-sempra-adds-another-100mw-to-mesquite-solar-complex/2015-09-18T03:26:09+00:002015-09-18T03:26:09+00:00Sempra adds another 100MW to Mesquite Solar Complex [ideas] The Mesquite Solar 2 addition is expected to be completed in late 2016, prior to the step-down of the US Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for utility projects from 30% to 10%.Southern California Edison has agreed a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for the output from the expansion. The deal is awaiting approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).<br><br>The Mesquite Solar Complex is around 60 miles west of Phoenix, Arizona.<br><br>"We are pleased to support Southern California Edison's commitment to diversify its growing renewable energy portfolio through the development of Mesquite Solar 2," said Kevin C. Sagara, president of renewables for Sempra US Gas &amp; Power. "The expansion of our landmark Mesquite <a href="http://us.renesola.com/">Solar</a> complex reflects the progressive vision and leadership by the state of Arizona and Maricopa County, and we look forward to delivering a new supply of clean, emission-free energy to California consumers," he added.<br><br>Work on Mesquite 2 will begin this autumn with as many as 600 workers onsite during its peak.<br><br>The completed 1,600 hectares site will have a total capacity of 400MW, taking the company’s solar portfolio past the 1GW mark.<br><br><br/><br/> alice915 replied:<br/>Where can i find more <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">solar</a> news???weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-09-11:/communities/1/topics/16-conergy-and-nextracker-unveil-latin-american-and-caribbean-solar-alliance/2015-09-11T04:00:41+00:002015-09-11T04:00:41+00:00Conergy and NEXTracker unveil Latin American and Caribbean Solar Alliance [ideas] Solar company Conergy and solar tracking corporation NEXTracker have announced the new Latin American and Caribbean Solar Alliance (LACSA).The LACSA was developed in order to push initiatives amongst solar industry professionals in both regions and support policies that encourage solar development.<br><br>Adam James, senior solar analyst at GTM Research, said: "This alliance is launching right when it is truly needed. Latin America has had triple-digit growth rates for the last three years, with expected compounded annual growth rates doubling Europe, Asia Pacific, and North America out to 2020."<br><br>LACSA will lead four main initiatives — sponsoring Latin America-centered solar events across the world, highlighting talking points from Latin American experts at said events, facilitating online knowledge related to <a href="http://us.renesola.com/">PV</a> in the regions and performing education and advocacy duties.<br><br>Mario Garcia, chief commercial officer at NEXTracker, said: “LACSA will be a terrific springboard for all of us doing business in Latin America and the Caribbean. This is an extraordinary time for solar growth in Latin America; the PV pipeline is huge. LACSA will enable us to be proactive – collaborating to sow the seeds for solar to flourish in the region.”<br><br><br/><br/> alice915 replied:<br/>Is that news come from <a href="http://www.renesola.com/">Renesola</a>???weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-09-08:/communities/1/topics/36-renesola-helps-amaize-restaurant-cuts-energy-consumption-by-80-with-commercial-led-lighting/2015-09-08T03:25:00+00:002015-09-08T03:25:00+00:00ReneSola helps Amaize Restaurant cuts energy consumption by 80% with commercial LED lighting [ideas] <img alt="ReneSola helps Amaize Restaurant cuts energy consumption by 80% with commercial LED lighting"><br>BACKGROUND<br>The Amaize restaurant in Doral, Florida is the flagship store in a planned chain of fast casual eateries serving Latin-inspired gourmet food. Located just a few minutes from Miami, the 2,760 square-foot store serves an average of 3,300 arepas – the restaurant’s signature dish – on a daily basis. As the Amaize team developed its franchise model, CEO Karen Armando Cohen made a conscious decision to serve as a leader in environmentally-friendly restaurant design and operation. As a baseline goal, Amaize set out to cut at least 20 percent of the Doral store’s total energy use, and to use the building as a model for future locations. To support these lofty sustainability initiatives, restaurant owners first installed energy saving electric burners in the kitchen and implemented a comprehensive recycling program. The next step was to tackle one of any commercial building’s biggest energy hogs: lighting.<br><br>CHALLENGE<br>In the average restaurant, lighting accounts for approximately 13 percent of total energy use. To mitigate energy consumption and electricity expenses, Cohen and his team looked to commercial LED lighting solutions. Compared to traditional options, LEDs consume up to 85 percent less energy while also delivering a longer lifespan than incandescent and compact fluorescent bulbs. It was also important to find an LED supplier with the breadth of products required to achieve optimal lighting conditions in each area of restaurant. For example, the kitchen needed bright working conditions for its staff, while the dining room had to maintain a warm, inviting ambiance for patrons.<br><br>SOLUTION<br>In April 2015, Amaize connected with Conexsol, a Miami-based distributor/ EPC company specializing in improving customers’ profitability through energy efficiency, who recommended ReneSola’s products for the job. “With a variety of high-quality and cost effective lighting solutions in its portfolio, ReneSola was the clear choice to meet Amaize’s unique needs,” said Anthony Lopez, CEO of Conexsol. “The company’s affordable prices, coupled with its unique policy of waiving all freight charges, also allows us to pass along exceptional savings to our customers.” The Conexsol team installed a total of 111 ReneSola LEDs across the kitchen, dining and retail spaces. The installation process took just two days, and was completed with no disruption to service hours.<br><br>RESULTS<br>To date, Amaize has achieved as much as an 80 percent reduction in lightingrelated energy consumption. What’s more, the ReneSola and Conexsol collaboration will yield a full return on investment in only eight months. “We are thrilled with our decision to ‘go green’ with our lighting. With the help of Conexsol and ReneSola, we’ve got a cost-effective LED package that can be replicated across all our locations to conserve energy while improving our profitability,” said Cohen. “We hope our sustainability efforts help raise the bar for the restaurant industry and set a positive example for the local community.”<br>source:<a href="http://us.renesola.com/">ReneSola</a><br/><br/> alice915 replied:<br/><a href="http://www.renesola.com/">Renesola</a>??What's the company come from??weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/tag:led.userecho.com,2015-08-14:/communities/1/topics/37-renesola-18w-led-tube13-aluminum23-plastic-non-dimmable-internal-non-isolated-driver-frosted/2015-08-14T03:14:49+00:002015-08-14T03:14:49+00:00Renesola 18W LED Tube,1/3 aluminum+2/3 plastic non-dimmable internal non-isolated driver frosted [ideas] <span><a href="http://www.renesola.com/renesola-18w-led-tube-1-3-aluminum-2-3-plastic-non-dimmable-internal-non-isolated-driver-frosted-6988/">Renesola 18W LED Tube</a>,1/3 aluminum+2/3 plastic non-dimmable internal non-isolated driver frosted</span><br>1/3 Aluminum + 2/3 Plastic body materials. Net weight of single product:0.2(Kg); Quantity (Pcs/Package):24; Package Size:1260*230*180(mm); Gross weight of package:12(Kg).<br><br><div><h3>Specification</h3></div><div><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><span>RT8018U0101_3518010400441</span></td></tr><tr><td>Watt (W)</td><td>18W</td></tr><tr><td>Type</td><td>T8</td></tr><tr><td>Brand</td><td>ReneSola</td></tr><tr><td>Cover</td><td>Frosted cover</td></tr><tr><td>Voltage</td><td>AC100-277V</td></tr><tr><td>Lumens (lm)</td><td>1800lm</td></tr><tr><td>Color Temperature(CCT)</td><td>Cool white</td></tr><tr><td>CCT (K)</td><td>6500K</td></tr><tr><td>CRI (Ra)</td><td>72</td></tr><tr><td>PF</td><td>0.9</td></tr><tr><td>View angle (°)</td><td>150°</td></tr><tr><td>Dimmable</td><td>NO</td></tr><tr><td>IP rate</td><td>IP 20</td></tr><tr><td>Dimension (mm)</td><td>1200*26</td></tr><tr><td>Lifetime(H)</td><td>50000</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br/><br/> alice915 replied:<br/>That's great,the <a href="http://www.renesola.com/led-tube/">LED Tube</a> is the one I want.weijing3333https://led.userecho.com/users/5-weijing3333/topics/